Monday, 5 January 2015

BAKING FOR THE BRAVE

If you’re reading this, that means you must have survived
the first Monday of 2015. Did you realise? I literally salute you for your
efforts! We’re all Trojans today! And we are survivors.

So, I’m Hayley and I survived the first Monday of the year.
But parts of today I did not like! Today’s been a tough one! I’ve had a bad
exam… I’ve been subject to extortion once more from Specsavers (the swindling
bastards)… and I’ve not been feeling superb. And it’s been COLD.

However, my Monday hasn’t been the worst. I wasn’t the guy
who tried to take a ladder up the escalator with him in Wilko and ripped a hole in the ceiling
with it. I wasn’t the Chinese student who was hit by a car on Percy Street. I
wasn’t the person who let rip reeeally loudly in pilates (just for the record!).
And I bet your Monday hasn’t been the worst on Earth either. Truly, someone
will have had a worse day than you. They will!

Try to be grateful for something good that came of your
Monday. Like, for meeee… Well, firstly, I had pancakes for breakfast this
morning and they tasted awesome. I reheated ones from the batch I made
yesterday (see my last blog post!) and served em up with banana and honey. This
was a TOP shout.

Secondly, I walked to uni and both a dog walker and a
cyclist smiled at me on the way. I smiled back.

Thirdly, my Pilates instructor chatted to me today and said that
she liked my leggings. I have been taking her classes at the gym for two years
now, along with having been in several of her geography lectures (this woman is
a living Wonderwoman), and never thought that she noticed me. I really look up
to her. And today she chatted to me. I was dancing inside.

Fourthly, I came in this evening from my dreadful exam, to
find that my Forever 21 order had arrived… AND EVERYTHING FIT. This never
happens. New sales clothes for me!

And fifthly, finally, I baked some terrific Banana Bites
last night that I munched on for lunch at the library. And they brought
sunshine to my tum. One of my best friends (for the blog I’ll call her Floss as
I feel this is her true name) gave me the recipe last night and when I got home
I literally made some straight away. Saddo I am. And now you have to go bake
some so that they can be one of the good things about your day tomorrow!

But, before that just have a think, what’s been good about
your day today? Have a proper think and I hope you can come up with at least 5
things like I did, even though parts of today were horrendous for me. Always remember
to be grateful for each day!

Soooo, without further ado, here’s how to bake Banana Bites in ten easy steps...

1. Heat your oven to 200˚C.

2. Use a fork to mash a banana in a bowl.

3. Add a big handful of raisins and peanuts.

4. Chuck in some oats.

5. Stir it up!

6. Keep adding oats and stirring until your mix has a consistency
like porridge.

7. Grease a baking tray.

8. Spoon your mix onto the tray in 4 biscuit-sized rounds.

9. Safely transport your tray into the oven to bake for 20
minutes.

10. When your Banana Bites are golden brown lift em out of
the oven and leave to cool on the tray.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: You might want to turn one of the Bites over
to check it’s baked underneath and not gooey still. Otherwise, your Bites might
go soggy. Not good.

And that’s it! Here’s my Banana Bites fresh out of the oven
:)

Aren’t these incredible? There’s nothing bad in them!
Aaaaaall the ingredients are healthy. So these are a totally guilt-free munch.
But it feels like you’re having a massive treat! Banana Bites are chewy and
they’re filling and they’re so moreish. And somehow they taste like childhood.I
can’t believe this recipe works. That it’s possible to make something healthy
with so small and so healthy a bunch of ingredients. You barely use any dishes.
You barely lift a finger, really. Gah. WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THESE
BEFORE. Thank you endlessly Floss for letting me in on the secret.